What is one Windows? "What it really means common user interface, common programming interface, common security architecture and user interface adaptability and common developer model and key services," said Ballmer.

From July, engineering firm GHD will be switching its 6000-plus strong workforce over to 64-bit Windows 7 from 32-bit XP to enable them to get the most out of their computers when using Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools.

Microsoft's move to support ARM-based system-on-a-chip architectures was predicted by One Laptop per Child head Nicholas Negroponte almost two years ago.Negroponte told ZDNet UK in 2009 that he expected Microsoft to develop a version of Windows for ARM architecture.

The New Year brought out a few analysts predicting that the inability of Microsoft and Intel to adapt to the mobile computing market will mean the end of Wintel. The end of the Windows/Intel juggernaut will mean the rise of Google and the ARM architecture.

ARM has announced that Microsoft has “signed a new licensing agreement for the ARM architecture” which is widely used in mobile phones and other portable devices. These include Microsoft’s Zune media player and smartphones running Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft and ARM announced on July 23 that the two have signed a new licensing agreement for the ARM architecture, extending the relationship between the two companies. The pair aren't sharing any details, but I can't but wonder if this could signal Microsoftand its PC partners delivering Windows and/or Windows Phone OS available on ARM-based slates and tablets.

So, it seems that Microsoft has its eye on 128-bit support for Windows 8, or possibly Windows 9, and this news has sent tech pundits into a spin. While it might not be too early for Microsoft to start thinking about 128-bit support, until we finally make 32-bit history, introducing new architecture into the mix isn't helpful.

Lenovo has continued the ThinkPad tradition of no-nonsense business laptops with the SL500, which provides good value and is powered by the Intel Centrino 2 architecture, and comes loaded with Windows Vista Business.

Service oriented architectures (SOAs) can ease application development but they impose a significant administrative burden. David Braue finds out how Scandinavian Airlines dealt with the challenge of SOA proliferation with flying colours.